An Act Disallowing All Government Officials from Seeking Hospitalization and Medical Treatment outside Government Hospitals

Question: Sir John, I miss your revolutionary messages. Kung ikaw maging Senador, ano batas i-sponsor mo para gumanda ang public hospital services?

ANSWER: "An Act Disallowing All Government Officials from Seeking Hospitalization and Medical Treatment outside Government Hospitals". Pag sila makinabang nyan, pagagandahin nila yan. Gagawa na rin tayo ng similar Act sa Public Schools para bawal na mga anak ng Government Officials na mag-aral sa private schools

Welcome to Philippine Government Toilets

A fellow complained that there is no ballpen to complete port of entry forms at the the Philippine Bureau of Immigration. He requested for reforms in PNoy's FB page.

I told him: "Isama mo na rin ang TISSUE sa mga toilets ng government facilities and schools na punong-puno na ng patong-patong na nilalangaw na ebak."

QUESTION: Sir John, bakit palaging barado ang mga toilet ng public schools at patong-patong na ang tae? ANSWER: dahil walang tubig, walang tissue. Pag-pasok ng estudyante sa toilet may medyas pa, paglabas wala na. Kaya nababara.

QUESTION on Chat: Sir John ano ang suggested solution mo?

ANSWER: make it a take-out counter, provide a cheap plastic bag. you shit in the plastic, use your socks to wipe yourself clean, take-out the plastic bag, and mail it by LBC to Malacanang c/o the Jueteng Bagman. Don't forget to tie it with a Yellow Ribbon.

Why Finish College if you can Buy Counterfeit Professional License

The image above is a very common tarpaulin Ad by Professional Associations in the Philippines because the government sleeps over its duties to regulate the professional practice.

xxxxx

The Filipino professional workforce has lost integrity because of laxity of the government in enforcing licensing requirement in professional practice. Counterfeit PRC Cards and Certificates can be easily bought in the sidewalks of Recto and Quiapo near Malacanang. Unlicensed Real Estate Agents in the malls are free to prey on consumers in the open. Unlicensed Dentist Clinics are easy to find, just ask the tricycle driver. The government is not doing its job on maintaining quality control and integrity of the nation's professionals.

Why finish school if you can get a professional license at the sidewalks? You can just use the internet to self-study the trade and craft and you are all set and free to practice the profession without license -- you can even get a business permit from the Mayor's Office for your Real Estate Company or Dentist Clinic or Notary Services without presenting your professional license.

xxxxx

Consumerism is yet another advocacy that need to be strengthened in the Philippines. In the real estate service sector, I will take the lead. Right now, 95% of real estate agents in the Philippines are unlicensed, they don't follow a code of ethics. These colorum agents seem to be protected, yet I can see that they are being being manipulated by some real estate developers. The result is a disastrous impact on the integrity of the service and on the whole industry. For consumerists, there is big battle ahead us.

Sinubukan kong i-report ang mahigit dalawang libong specific cases ng colorum practice, dala-dala ko na ang evidences, nireport ko sa government agency na nagbibigay ng license. Sabi ng naka-usap ko sa agency, punta daw muna ako sa Cashier, ang bayad kada isang tao na kono-complain ko ay P1,010 may official gov't resibo. Susmaryosep! Do I need to pay over P2,000,0000 for them to move their asses and act on my complain? Grabe etong gobyerno na eto!

xxxxx

Yung 3 Billion Pesos Mortgage Scam ng Globe Asiatique ay sanhi ng pag-kukulang sa Professional Due Diligence Procedure dahil sa mga colorum na real estate agents na in-engage at minamanipula ng Developers. Hindi lang Asiatique ang gumagawa ng anomaly na yan, marami pang ibang developers.

Ang accountable govt agencies sa Asiatique Scam ay ang HLURB dahil hinahayaan lang nila ang mga walang lisensya na real estate agents na mag-practice. Ang PAG-IBIG ay liable din dahil ina-accredit nila ang mga developers na hindi sumusunod sa SalesAgent-Licensing requirement.

xxxxx

In the Philippines, professional licenses and professional board exams are administered by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). Sad to say, counterfeit professional certificates can easily be bought in sidewalk near the PRC and near the Presidential Malacanang Palace. Even if you practice a profession without license right in front of the headquarters of PRC in Manila, they won't mind.

xxxxx

Professional Human Resources is the ONLY export that could help the Philippines survive and gain competitive advantage in economic globalization. But the Philippine government is doing nothing to protect the integrity of its professionals. If our professionals is contaminated with fakes, we will surely soon lose our advantage.

xxxxx

Parang noong araw, napakaganda ng prospect ng exportation ng paminta (black pepper). Pero ano ang ginawa ng mga Pinoy? Hinaluan ng buto ng papaya ang mga export na paminta. Ayun, good bye paminta export. Ganyan din ang mangyayari sa mga OCWs natin pag hindi gumawa ng seryosong hakbang ang gobyerno.

Dept of Education Wants to Eradicate Filipino Motivation to Finish College

Nag-drive na ako papunta sa opisina. Narinig ko si Se. Luistro sa DZMM at ako ay muntik nang na-suka sa mga sinasabi niya. Nagmadali ako pa-uwi sa bahay para i-post ang message na eto sa FB ni PNoy. Sabi niya, dapat daw baguhin ang pananaw ng mga employers sa mga high school graduate lang at huwag daw sila gawing second class citizen. Isa daw eto sa reason ng K12 Program niya.


Ang Pilipinas ay napaka-taas ng competitiveness sa international labor trade dahil marami tayong college graduates. Advantage natin eto.

Ang lahat na Pilipino ay gustong mag-aral para maging college graduate. Ito ay parte na ng dugo natin bi...lang Pilipino na lahat tayo ay humahangad na maging college graduate. Eto ay napakagandang motivation para mag pursigi lahat na bata na makatapos ng college. Advantage natin eto.

Si Sec Luistro, gusto niya tanggalin natin etong "motivation" na eto sa kultura natin. Gusto niya, magiging satisfied na ang mga bata na highschool graduate lang sila, at gusto niya, magiging okay na sa mga employers na mag-hire ng highschool grad kahit bumabaha ang college grads na applicant.

Para mapatunayan niya na tama ang gusto niya, ginagamit niya ang pwesto bilang Secretary ng Education para ipursigi na dagdagan ang number of years sa basic education.

Maling-mali po ang policy direction ni Luistro. Pag-makinig tayo sa kanya, at mapagbigyan siya, ang resulta ay devastating. Ang resulta eh bababa ang pag-pupursigi ng mga kabataan natin na maka-graduate ng college.

Maling-mali po si Luistro.

xxxxx

Ang masasabi ko lang kay Luistro, WALK THE TALK! Sampolan mo muna sa organization mo. Unahin mo muna kombinsihin ang mga tao mo sa Dept of Education na high school graduates ay pwede nyo nang i-hire sa mga technical positions. Yung mga naka...paligid na staff mo, yung executive assistant mo, palitan mo ang mga yan ng high school graduates. Pwede mo rin pangunahan sa LaSalle, kung saan ka nanggaling, you hire high school graduates to work in La Salle. Mag-set ka ng example. Subukan mo kung uubra ba ang advocacy mo.

Pero po, dahan-dahan sa policy change mo, huwag nyo po muna isaksak yan na sapilitan sa bunganga ng buong bansa.

xxxxx

I dedicate this blog to my FB friends below who celebrate their birthdays today.

Bench Petalcorin, Candy Cortez, Cecille Jamora, Cindy Reyes, Daneca Escalante, Horikita- Maki, John Kaven Linihan, Malou Gil, Rebecca Cultura, Riena Otacan

Employers Prefer College Graduates

Napanood ko si Sec Luistro sa TV. Sabi niya ang problema daw na nakikita niya ay bakit ang mga kumpanya ay hindi nag-hahire ng high-school graduate laman. Ang solution niya ay dagdagan ng dalawa pang taon bago maka-graduate sa highschool.

Ang hindi niya na-isip, kaming mga employers, hindi mag-hire ng high-school graduate, DAHIL napakataas ng unemployment at napakarami manang college graduate na pwedeng pag-pili-an. Ako lang as a real estate broker, according to the RA 9646 law, pwede na yung tapos ng 2nd year HS na mag-apply as salesperson under sa amin, pero mas gusto ko pa rin ang college graduate sa salesperson.

In fact, mga resume ng mga applicants, eh we are only looking for one particular line in terms of education background -- ANO ANG COURSE and ANO ANG SCHOOL. Wala po kaming paki-alam kung ilang taon nag highschool ang applicant or ilangtaon siya nag-aral bago makatapos ng high-school. Wala pong employer na tumitingin ng high-school transcript ng mga job applicants.

Kahit dagdagdagan mo pa ng 2 years or kahit 5 years pa ang high-school graduate, ehhh COLLEGE graduate pa rin po ang pipiliin namin dahil kasama yan sa pag-papaganda ng profile/image ng mga company namin.

Maling-mali po ang perspective ni Luistro. Mali din po ang solution na binibigay niya.

Bill of Rights Indoctrination

The most effective way to empower the people is to indoctrinate them of their rights so they will fight for it as individuals and as a community. It is very difficult to exploit an individual or community who knows his rights.

Many people and communities get abused and exploited because many people don't know their rights. We have to push push for a law that will make the students (elementary and high school) recite the Bill of Rights during Monday morning after the National Anthem.

xxxxx

EXCERPTS FROM THE BILL OF RIGHTS

[Article 3 of the Philippine Constitution]

Section 1.
No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of the laws.

Section 2. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures of whatever nature and for any purpose shall be inviolable, and no search warrant or warrant of arrest shall issue except upon probable cause to be determined personally by the judge after examination under oath or affirmation of the complainant and the witnesses he may produce, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized.

Section 3.
(1) The privacy of communication and correspondence shall be inviolable except upon lawful order of the court, or when public safety or order requires otherwise, as prescribed by law.
(2) Any evidence obtained in violation of this or the preceding section shall be inadmissible for any purpose in any proceeding.

Section 4.
No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.

Section 5.
No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed. No religious test shall be required for the exercise of civil or political rights.

Section 6.
The liberty of abode and of changing the same within the limits prescribed by law shall not be impaired except upon lawful order of the court. Neither shall the right to travel be impaired except in the interest of national security, public safety, or public health, as may be provided by law.

Section 7.
The right of the people to information on matters of public concern shall be recognized. Access to official records, and to documents and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions, or decisions, as well as to government research data used as basis for policy development, shall be afforded the citizen, subject to such limitations as may be provided by law.

Section 8.
The right of the people, including those employed in the public and private sectors, to form unions, associations, or societies for purposes not contrary to law shall not be abridged.

Section 9.
Private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation.

Section 10.
No law impairing the obligation of contracts shall be passed.

Section 11.
Free access to the courts and quasi-judicial bodies and adequate legal assistance shall not be denied to any person by reason of poverty.

Section 12.
(1) Any person under investigation for the commission of an offense shall have the right to be informed of his right to remain silent and to have competent and independent counsel preferably of his own choice. If the person cannot afford the services of counsel, he must be provided with one. These rights cannot be waived except in writing and in the presence of counsel.
(2) No torture, force, violence, threat, intimidation, or any other means which vitiate the free will shall be used against him. Secret detention places, solitary, incommunicado, or other similar forms of detention are prohibited.
(3) Any confession or admission obtained in violation of this or Section 17 hereof shall be inadmissible in evidence against him.
(4) The law shall provide for penal and civil sanctions for violations of this section as well as compensation to the rehabilitation of victims of torture or similar practices, and their families.

Section 13.
All persons, except those charged with offenses punishable by reclusion perpetua when evidence of guilt is strong, shall, before conviction, be bailable by sufficient sureties, or be released on recognizance as may be provided by law. The right to bail shall not be impaired even when the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus is suspended. Excessive bail shall not be required.

Section 14.
(1) No person shall be held to answer for a criminal offense without due process of law.
(2) In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall be presumed innocent until the contrary is proved, and shall enjoy the right to be heard by himself and counsel, to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation against him, to have a speedy, impartial, and public trial, to meet the witnesses face to face, and to have compulsory process to secure the attendance of witnesses and the production of evidence in his behalf. However, after arraignment, trial may proceed notwithstanding the absence of the accused: Provided, that he has been duly notified and his failure to appear is unjustifiable.

Section 15.
The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended except in cases of invasion or rebellion, when the public safety requires it.

Section 16.
All persons shall have the right to a speedy disposition of their cases before all judicial, quasi-judicial, or administrative bodies.

Section 17.
No person shall be compelled to be a witness against himself.

Section 18.
(1) No person shall be detained solely by reason of his political beliefs and aspirations.
(2) No involuntary servitude in any form shall exist except as a punishment for a crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.

Section 19.
(1) Excessive fines shall not be imposed, nor cruel, degrading or inhuman punishment inflicted. Neither shall death penalty be imposed, unless, for compelling reasons involving heinous crimes, the Congress hereafter provides for it. Any death penalty already imposed shall be reduced to reclusion perpetua.
(2) The employment of physical, psychological, or degrading punishment against any prisoner or detainee or the use of substandard or inadequate penal facilities under subhuman conditions shall be dealt with by law.

Section 20.
No person shall be imprisoned for debt or non-payment of a poll tax.

Section 21.
No person shall be twice put in jeopardy of punishment for the same offense. If an act is punished by a law and an ordinance, conviction or acquittal under either shall constitute a bar to another prosecution for the same act.

Return of Investment on OCWs

There is no difference between foreign exploitation of our natural resources and highly-skilled human resources. Exploitation means our local resources are imported by other countries but our motherland is not benefiting any wealth of this exportation.

What benefit will out motherland get in return for the taxpayers expenses (govt subsidy) on the healthcare, primary education, secondary education, scholarship in State University, and skills training of a person who leaves the country to work in a foreign land? Why should government invest in the person without a guarantee that the Philippines will benefit from the person in the future?

Filipinos Lack Sense of Oneness

QUESTION: Sir John, I am 3rd yr HS. How do you assess Filipino sense of nationalism?

ANSWER: We have no sense of ONENESS. During the Japanese-American War in the Philippines, 40% sided with the Americans, 20% sided with the Japanese, 35% decided to bear the pain of war without fighting, and only 5% joined the Filipino Revolutionary Movement.

The Effect of PNoy's Additional School Year on Workforce

In the Philippines, the workforce general employment minimum age is 15 years old.

Before PNoy, the average 15 year old person has already completed 3rd year high school. One year to go, he graduates high school.

With PNoys proposal of additional two years in elementary and high school, a 15 year old could be a mere elementary graduate if not a high school freshman.

Not only that. Freshman highschool may bigote na. A senior high school will already be eligible to get married kasi diese-otso na sila eh.

Making a Farmer Understand the Impact of PNoy's Additional School Year

In layman's term: noon kailangan ni farmer magbenta ng apat na kalabaw para makatapos ng high school si anak. Ngayon sa panahon ni PNoy, kailangan na ni farmer magbenta ng limang kalabaw para matapos ng high school si anak. Atsaka, kung naka-pila ang mga anak sa opportunity na mag-aral, eh additional two years ang pag-hihintay sa pila. Gobyerno walang pakialam basta kimuta ang mga negosyanteng paaralan -- pambayad utang sa election. Kulang na nga ang mga classroom eh dadagdagan pa ng school years, eh saan silid nila ipapasok yang mga mag-aaral?

Degradation of Quality of Education

If you are age 20 and you decide to go abroad to work, would you rather be a high school graduate at age 20 or a college graduate? Oh yes you must have invested 4 more years in elementary and high school, but you have a lot of explaining to do why you still have not finished college at age 20.

Filipinos who graduated high school in Philippines excel from among college freshmen in international schools in US and Europe. There is nothing wrong with the number of years in elementary and high school, except the pressure of those private schools who supported Aquino during the campaign that wants to extend their sucking business for more years.

I am an average finisher of a 6 year public school elementary and four year high school. There is nothing wrong with me. But there is something wrong with the quality of high school graduates now, I am a lot better than most of them when I was at their age. There is nothing wrong with the curriculum and the length of time in school. But there must be degradation in quality of education that the schools provide.

Illegalizing Tobacco may Solve Classroom Shortage

If we illegalize the domestic sale and consumption of tobacco in the Philippines, we can stop the P43B government spending on tobacco-related illness each year. Saving this amount of waste may probably give you 200,000 classrooms with complete facility, and you don't have to make money in facilitating beggarship. A chain-smoker who made the first tobacco-illegal country in the world -- that will be your great sacrifice and your greatest destiny in WORLD HISTORY.

Irrationality of Adding More Years in Primary and Secondary Schooling

Primary and secondary education is like a production line of shoes where each shoe is passed on from one factory employee to another until the shoe is completely assembled. The mission of the factory at the end of each day is to produce finish products in the right quantity, right time, best quality, and least rejects.

Adding another year is just like adding another factory worker in the production line. It will not increase the quality, but only slow down the production process. If you want to increase quality, pay attention to quality of school environment, quality and training of teaching staff, and technology that you use in teaching, BECAUSE these three are not yet optimized, there is still a lot of inefficiencies in these aspects and plenty of room for improvement.

Solution to Disparity in Teacher Quality

Let's do away na with the traditional teaching medium na gumagamit ng libro, blackboard, nagpapawis na teacher. Mas mura ang video education system dahil ang one-hour-chapter na one-hour video central production ay P50,000 lang at P15 lang ang bawat isang CD na i-distribute sa lahat ng schools. Sa videocation mas magaan ang trabaho ng teacher, at pantay ang quality ng teaching method sa lahat na paaralan, walang teacher quality disparity.

Disparity of Public and Private Schools in Philippines

Napadaan ako sa ATENEO last week. Parang hotel ang CR. Hiwalay ang CR kada high school level para hindi magkaka-bullyhan. Bawat classroom merong flat screen TV na napakalaki. Video na ang ginagamit pang-turo. Kanina napadan ako sa Public High School, at nakita ko na sobrang layo ng kalidad ng environment nila kumpara sa Ateneo. Mga estudyante, pareho man sila pursigido, hindi patas ang laban ng mahirap sa mayaman pagdating sa education.